The present invention is directed, in general, to wireless devices and, more specifically, to a cellular telephone with a built-in personal mirror.
Reliable predictions indicate that there will be over 300 million cellular telephone customers worldwide by the year 2000. Within the United States, cellular service is offered by cellular service providers, by the regional Bell companies, and by the national long distance operators. The enhanced competition has driven the price of cellular service down to the point where it is affordable to a large segment of the population.
The current generation of cellular phones are used primarily for voice conversations between a subscriber and another party through the wireless network. These cell phone handsets are smaller and lighter in weight than their predecessors and provide more features. In fact, the newest generations of handsets are often small enough to fit inside a shirt pocket while also providing several display lines of alphanumeric characters.
As handsets approach a nominal convenient small size, manufacturers continue to search for cost-effective features that may distinguish their particular handset configurations from handsets produced by other vendors. For instance, handsets were initially black in color, but handsets of one or more colors and patterns are now readily available. Cell phones also come with numerous accessories that provide a user with ergonomic advantages or personal convenience enhancements to the user, such as leather carrying cases, ear plugs or headphones, recharging units, and the like.
There is a need in the art for additional cost-effective ergonomic and/or personal enhancements that a cell phone manufacturer may add to cellular phones in order to distinguish the manufacturer""s products.
To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a cellular telephone (or other cordless telephone handset) that contains an integrated personal (or vanity) mirror. According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a cellular telephone comprising: 1) a handset case; 2) a display associated with the handset case capable of displaying alphanumeric characters when the cellular telephone is operated; and 3) a personal mirror associated with the cellular telephone.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the cellular telephone further comprises a handset cover associated with the handset case.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the handset cover is rotatably coupled to a portion of the handset case.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, the personal mirror is disposed on a surface of the handset cover.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the personal mirror is removably mounted on a surface of the handset cover.
According to a further embodiment of the present invention, a portion of the handset cover forms a compartment and the personal mirror covers the compartment when the personal mirror is removably mounted on the handset cover.
According to a still further embodiment of the present invention, the cellular telephone further comprises a light source associated with the handset cover.
According to a yet further embodiment of the present invention, the light source is activated when the handset cover is rotated away from the handset case.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the handset cover further comprises a microphone.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the personal mirror is mounted on a portion of the handset case.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the personal mirror at least partially covers the display.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the reflectivity of the personal mirror is variable.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.